Ultimate Kylie (album)
|recorded = 1987-2004 |genre = |length = 51:35 (CD 1) 69:26 (CD 2) |label = |producer = |last_album = |this_album = |next_album = |single_one = |single1date = 6 December 2004 |single_two = |single2date = 28 March 2005 }} "Ultimate Kylie" is the third compilation album by Kylie Minogue, released on 22 November 2004. The collection superseded Kylie's 1992 Greatest Hits compilation and the 2000 compilation Hits+. The album contains work from all nine of her studio albums released up to that point, plus two new tracks, "I Believe in You" and "Giving You Up". Ultimate Kylie was released in different formats, with most countries having the two-disc CD, while other countries included a bonus DVD, and a bonus digital download video of "Dancing Queen", a cover of ABBA. Ultimate Kylie received positive reviews from music critics, with many noting Kylie's best collection of hits in one album, but some said that some missing hits were disappointing. It was a success commercially, reaching the top ten in Australia, Germany and United Kingdom. The album was promoted through the Showgirl: The Greatest Hits Tour in 2005. After Kylie was diagnosed with breast cancer, she cancelled the tour and was resumed with another leg in 2006. The album was re-released exclusively in Australia as a set consisting of two CDs and a DVD to coincide with her return to prominence and saw the album re-enter the charts at a peak of number seven. Background Ultimate Kylie is Kylie's second major "greatest hits" album (the first one being Greatest Hits). Although not her first hits compilation, Ultimate Kylie is notable as being the first album to include Kylie's Stock Aitken Waterman, Deconstruction and Parlophone Records recordings in one package. Advertisements for the album claimed it contained every single that Kylie had released in the UK. These were misleading, as several of her charting singles were not included. The album contained two new songs, "I Believe in You" and "Giving You Up", which were recorded especially for the Ultimate Kylie release. Other songs that were leftovers from the Body Language recording sessions were considered for inclusion on the album, however only one of those songs, "B.P.M." was released as the B-side to "I Believe in You". "Give Me a Reason" and "I'm Fascinated" are the songs that were thought to be included in this album but they did not make the final cut. Both were written by Kylie & "BiffCo". A track entitled "I Put a Spell on You" is also thought to exist. According to the EMI/Parlophone catalogue it is one of the classic jazz recordings from Kylie. While working with Xenomania, Kylie recorded "Made Of Glass" which was released as the b-side to "Giving You Up". During those sessions, they penned a song named "Loving You". Although it was never properly recorded, a demo of the song was leaked in 2004 just after the release of Ultimate Kylie along with "Everything I Know", which was a demo recorded with the Scissor Sisters. Release History The singles that are missing are "It's No Secret", "Word Is Out", "If You Were with Me Now", "Finer Feelings". "What Kind of Fool (Heard All That Before)", "Where Is the Feeling?" and "Some Kind of Bliss". Many of the singles that were released during her Stock Aitken Waterman and Deconstruction period were not included on the second CD to save room for her bigger hit singles that were produced during her releases with Parlophone. The Japanese release contained three bonus tracks: "Turn It into Love", "Can't Get Blue Monday Out of My Head" and "Slow" (Chemical Brothers Remix). A DVD was simultaneously released under the same name, containing all the music videos of the CDs, with the exception of "Giving You Up" (which at the time had not been filmed). It also contains Kylie's performance at the 2002 BRIT Awards of "Can't Get Blue Monday Out of My Head": a mix of "Can't Get You Out of My Head" and New Order's "Blue Monday". Early versions of the UK DVD are known to suffer from the DVD rot phenomenon, after a short period of time, where the playing surface becomes incredibly cloudy or forms a 'cracked' pattern. EMI UK have not publicly addressed this issue. The album was promoted by the "Showgirl: The Greatest Hits Tour". The album was repackaged and reissued in October 2006 in Australia only as the Showgirl Tour Special Edition. The repackaged version contains 2 CDs and 1 DVD, originally available separately. Parlophone has not announced any plans of a UK reissue, however, the version was made available online through such retailers as HMV as an import. Singles "I Believe in You" was released as the first worldwide single from the compilation. The song was released in the UK on 6 December 2004, and was heard on radio stations from 19 October 2004. Jake Shears and Babydaddy from the Scissor Sisters are credited as co-writers and producers. "I Believe in You" reached the number two position in the UK behind "Do They Know It's Christmas?" by Band Aid and received generally positive reviews from music critics. In December 2005, the song gained Minogue her fourth Grammy nomination for the Best Dance Recording category. It was announced that "Giving You Up" will be released as the second and last single from the compilation. It was released as a single on 28 March 2005 in the UK. It peaked at six, giving Kylie another top ten hit and received mixed reviews from music critics. It featured "Made of Glass" as a b-side, a song that was leaked to the internet in December 2004. "Giving You Up" was written and produced with Xenomania. Tour In 2005, Kylie embarked on her first greatest hits tour, entitled Showgirl: The Greatest Hits Tour. This was based around the album's track listing, which included some non-single songs and unreleased songs ("Dreams" and "In Denial"). The tour was split into seven acts and an encore. Her costumes and shoes were made by Manolo Blahnik, John Galliano, Julien Macdonald and Stephen Jones. Throughout the concert, Kylie had a total of eight costume changes. The performance on 6 May at Earls Court Exhibition Centre in London was filmed for DVD. Kylie was diagnosed with breast cancer after the European leg so was forced to cancel. She recovered over a year and on 11 November she resumed the tour under the name Showgirl: The Homecoming Tour. This featured new outfits and a change to the setlist. This was again divided into seven acts and an encore, with Kylie having eight costume changes. The breaks in between each act were lengthened and the dance routines from the previous tour were reworked to conserve her strength. The performance in Melbourne on 11 December was filmed for DVD. Track listing | extra1 = | length1 = 3:21 | title2 = Can't Get You Out of My Head | note2 = from Fever, 2001 | writer2 = | extra2 = | length2 = 3:49 | title3 = Love at First Sight | writer3 = | extra3 = | note3 = from Fever, 2001 | length3 = 3:57 | title4 = Slow | note4 = from Body Language, 2003 | writer4 = | extra4 = Sunnyroads | length4 = 3:13 | title5 = On a Night Like This | note5 = from Light Years, 2000 | writer5 = | extra5 = | length5 = 3:33 | title6 = Spinning Around | note6 = from Light Years, 2000 | writer6 = | extra6 = Mike Spencer | length6 = 3:27 | title7 = Kids | note7 = Radio edit, with Robbie Williams, from Light Years, 2000 | writer7 = | extra7 = | length7 = 4:20 | title8 = Confide in Me | note8 = Radio mix, from Kylie Minogue, 1994 | writer8 = | extra8 = Brothers in Rhythm | length8 = 4:26 | title9 = In Your Eyes | note9 = from Fever, 2001 | writer9 = | extra9 = | length9 = 3:18 | title10 = Please Stay | note10 = from Light Years, 2000 | writer10 = | extra10 = | length10 = 4:04 | title11 = Red Blooded Woman | note11 = from Body Language, 2003 | writer11 = | extra11 = | length11 = 4:20 | title12 = Giving You Up | writer12 = | extra12 = | length12 = 3:30 | title13 = Chocolate | note13 = Radio edit, from Body Language, 2003 | writer13 = | extra13 = | length13 = 4:01 | title14 = Come into My World | note14 = Radio edit, from Fever, 2001 | writer14 = | extra14 = | length14 = 4:06 | title15 = Put Yourself in My Place | note15 = Radio edit, from Kylie Minogue, 1994 | writer15 = Jimmy Harry | extra15 = Harry | length15 = 4:11 | title16 = Did It Again | note16 = from Impossible Princess, 1997 | writer16 = | extra16 = Brothers in Rhythm | length16 = 4:14 | title17 = Breathe | note17 = Radio edit, from Impossible Princess, 1997 | writer17 = | extra17 = | length17 = 3:40 | title18 = Where the Wild Roses Grow | note18 = with Nick Cave, from Murder Ballads, 1996 | writer18 = Cave | extra18 = | length18 = 3:57 }} | length19 = 3:45 }}}} Charts 'Weekly charts' 'Year-end charts' 'End of decade chart' Category:Compilation albums Category:Ultimate Kylie Category:Parlophone Category:2004 Category:Greatest Hits albums Category:Albums